


The President's Daughter

by Ivy_StClaire



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Heartbreak, Hospitals, Love, Romance, San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, St. Bonaventure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-12 04:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12951081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivy_StClaire/pseuds/Ivy_StClaire
Summary: ♤ an estranged father♤ her childhood rival♤ a handsome boss♤ and the fierce determination to become someoneEvangeline Glassman is in for a ride, starting her first day at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital.





	1. 01 | first day.

⚕

The morning started stressful enough. Evangeline had awoke with her alarm blaring precisely at five o'clock in the morning. Since she was pretty used to being up so early, Adele's soothing voice was more than enough to effectively rouse her from her sleep.

But from the moment her barefeet touched the floor's wooden tiles, everything seemed to go downhill. She had tripped and fallen face fist, creating a small gash near her hairline. Evangeline had spent ten minutes to stop the bleeding and disinfect the cut, putting a simple band-aid when she finished.

Her shower had been quick, for as soon as she got out, her phone started ringing. At first, it had been her best friend, checking in on her and wishing her good luck on her first day. However, the second phone call was most disconcerting. Evangeline had yet to earn any money and didn't have enough to pay the rent, so she pleaded with her landlord to give her until the end of the month to pay both this month and the next. That would blow her first salary, but she needed a roof over her head.

Evangeline didn't have the time to eat a proper breakfast before realizing she would be late if she didn't leave the house at that precise moment. 

Saying she was a mess when she arrived at the hospital didn't even cover it. Eva was hungry, half-asleep and her hair was sticking out in every direction. As soon as she could, she would go fix her appearance in a bathroom mirror and buy a snack at the cafeteria. 

"Uhm, good morning?" she hesitantly approached the secretary. "My name is Evangeline Glassman, I'm the new resident surgeon. Could you please point me to Dr. Melendez's office?"

The nurse at the desk smiled kindly and nodded. "Sure, hun. Elevators are down the hall, the main office is in the sixth floor. Just ask a nurse passing by and she'll tell you where to go. Good luck."

"Thank you," Evangeline shot over her shoulder, her pace fast as she strode towards the direction that she had been given. 

The elevator ride was quiet enough, Evangeline didn't dare to look at the tall guy next to her. It made her uncomfortable, really. She was used to being at least an inch or two shorter than most people, but she only reached this guy's chest!

With a soft  _ding!_  the doors slid open and Evangeline slipped into the main office, her eyes looking around for a nurse so she could ask for more directions. She was about to walk over to a blonde wearing a blue uniform when she saw the man next to her.

There was no mistaking. Wavy hair, lanky figure and skinny frame. His head turned, and Evangeline caught a glimpse of the face she most hated in the world. 

 _Shaun Murphy_ , she fumed silently, her hands curling up in fists, nails digging into her skin as she attempted to control her temper.  _Of course he would be here, too_.

He had yet to noticed her, so Evangeline silently hid in the shadows, seething as she closed her eyes and counted to ten. She couldn't afford being snippy when meeting with her new boss. Her father's guilt had gotten her a job, she wouldn't lose it because of his precious golden boy.

A hand on her shoulder startled her more than she would ever admit. Evangeline tensed as her mind registered the feeling of the large, clearly male, hand ever so slightly pressing down on her shoulder. She quickly pivoted, coming face to face with a handsome man. 

"Can I help you, Miss?" he asked in a baritone voice, letting go of her shoulder and tilting his head to the side, curiosity in his eyes.

Evangeline blinked. "No. I mean, yes!" she blushed at the amused glint that shone in his hazel eyes. "I'm looking for Doctor Melendez."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah," she cleared her throat. "I'm the new resident surgeon."

Realization dawned in his face. "Evangeline Glassman?"

"Neil Melendez?" Eva replied with a question of her own. He smirked, and Evangeline felt amused as her eyes shifted to read the tag on his white coat. How she'd missed, she couldn't even begin to figure out.

"Come, I'll give you your equipment, find you a locker and then we'll meet the rest of the tea," he said with a friendly smile, his hand gently touching the small of her back as he guided her through the main office.

After she was ready to start working, dressed in a big, white coat with her name printed under the breast pocket, her boss had taken her down to the OP rooms. Just before the entrances, there was a large sink with long faucets to scrub one clean after a shift, and further away from that, were the locker rooms. 

They were shared, since none of the residents actually showered there, but he explained that usually the men took the left side while the women chose the further right side, away from them. 

He had waited for her while Evangeline fixed her hair by pulling it back in a charmingly messy ponytail and applied lipstick to her lips. She took care to make sure her mascara wasn't smudged and followed him into the main office once more.

Hatred bubbled up again when she saw Shaun waiting with another two residents for them. Melendez didn't seem to notice the change in her demeanor since Evangeline was fighting the urge to slap Murphy senseless down. How she hated that git. 

"Guys, this is our newest team member, Doctor Evangeline Glassman."

"Call me Eva," she waved at them, shooting a pointed look at Shaun.  _Don't_ _ **you**_ _call me Eva_.

"Eva, these are the rest of the team. Doctor Claire Browne, Doctor Jared Kalu and Doctor Shaun Murphy," Evangeline didn't miss the way his voice steeled ever so slightly as he introduced her to the autistic savant. 

 _He doesn't like him_ , she mused thoughtfully.

"Nice to meet you Eva," Claire stepped forward, Eva smiled at her. Jared Kalu was the tall guy from the elevator, and now that she wasn't looking like shit, she allowed herself to give him an once over. He looked more indifferent about her presence than anything.

"Today we aren't supposed to do much," Melendez clapped his hands to shift their attention to him. "So I'm putting us all on scutwork. Should something arise, I want your pagers ready so we can act fast. Jared, East Wing. Claire, West Wing. Murphy, Nurse Fryday is waiting for you in the South Wing. Eva, you're with me," he barked out the orders and they all quickly dispersed.

It wasn't lost on Evangeline that Melendez had paired Shaun with a nurse instead of letting him do his part of the scutwork on his own. From what her father had shared - and Evangeline hadn't been the least bit interested in the little punk - Shaun had been at the hospital for close to three weeks. And Neil Melendez wasn't making it easier on him.

"You coming?" she snapped back to reality at the sound of her boss's voice. The surgeon raised an eyebrow as she lightly jogged to catch up with him.

"Sorry, spaced out for a bit," Eva smiled shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"No problem," Melendez looked at her oddly, but the next second seemed to shake his head and look right in front of him. "I haven't done this in a while. Scutwork, I mean," he shared as they started their rounds. "But time to time there are no urgent surgeries to be done and scutwork is all that's left."

"Are all the Wings the same?"

He shook his head. "The East Wing focus more on the young adults. I sent Jared there because he's the silent type that doesn't make small talk and they usually appreciate it. Claire is in the West Wing because she's the most compassionate out of us all and that Wing is mostly reserved for the elderly people."

"South Wing has the least problematic patients. Things like faint tummy aches or dizzy spells. They tend to come here to check they don't have cancer simply because they've got a cold," Neil smirked in amusement. "Always hated that one."

"And the North Wing? Where we're going, right?" Eva asked curiously.

"Yes, where we're going. Children," he replied, the smirk softening into a kind smile. "They tend to be my favorites. I'm known around here for not having any patience, but that's only for mistakes. Kids are a soft spot."

"I can understand," Eva nodded in agreement.

"Oh? I didn't think Glassman had any other kids."

Eva smiled. "He doesn't. I was the only one until Shaun came along," she couldn't help the bitterness that slipped into her voice as she pronounced his name, and Melendez sure didn't miss it. "But my best friend has little cousins that are no older than ten and my ex-boyfriend had a young son from a previous relationship. I've always loved kids."

Melendez didn't say anything, but she could see his smile from the corner of her eye. They stepped into a large room filled with beds, some hidden by drawn curtains, some not. There was a lot of noise but Eva didn't care. Parents and siblings bustled around, entertaining the sick children.

"Here," Melendez handed her a clipboard. "Write down the name and age of the patient, plus what's wrong. If you can solve it easily, check with green ink, but if you think they need surgery, check with red ink."

"Okay," Eva dragged the word out as she watched him grab a clipboard for himself and heading to one of the kids.

⚕

Eva looked around and her gaze settled on a lonely girl. She looked no older than seven or eight, but was all alone, sitting on a bed near the window, ignoring everybody around her. It didn't seem like she had any visitors, so Eva made her way over to the bed.

"Hello," she said gently, but startling the girl regardless.

The girl looked up at her, and Evangeline was taken aback at how pretty she was. Her hair was dirty blonde, and much like hers, was pulled back, but the girl's was in a messy bun, a few strands framing her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were a bright ocean blue. Eva wondered how such an innocent face could have such troubled eyes.

"Hi," the little girl replied quietly, looking down at her tiny hands as she played with her thumbs.

Wanting to put her at easy, Evangeline slowly lowered herself to sit on the edge of the hospital bed. The girl made no movement to protest, so Eva tilted her head, smile still in place, as she started asking for her name.

"I'm Eva," she figured introducing herself first would be a bonus, "What about you?"

"That's a pretty name," the girl mumbled under her breath, still not looking at her. Eva waited patiently for her to speak again. "Jayla. Not so pretty, but that's my name."

"Well I think Jayla is pretty beautiful, too," Eva leaned in as if she was about to let Jayla in in an important secret. "Between you and me, I think Evangeline is too long. That's why I want to be called Eva. What about I call you Jay?"

She high fived herself mentally when she saw Jayla smiling at her hands. The girl lifted her head and stared at Eva, eyebrows scrunched together as she studied the surgeon before her. Eva gave her a friendly smile.

"Soooo... you're here to check up on me?"

"Yeah," Eva nodded. "Can you make my job easier and tell me your age?" she winked at Jayla.

Her actions caused a delightful giggle to come out of the little girl. She abruptly stopped, blushing deeply as she realized people had turned to stare. Eva quickly glared at them and stretched out her hand for Jayla to take. Surprisingly, the girl did so without hesitation.

"I'll be nine in two months. November 1st," she said as Eva used her right hand, the one not holding Jay's, to scribble down the date of birth and current age.

"And why are you here, Jay?" 

"My cousin brought me since my parents were busy. He was babysitting me, but as soon as we got here, he got a call saying his girlfriend was involved in a car accident. I told him to go," Jayla said quietly, playing with her thumbs again.

Eva nodded wordlessly. And then. "What symptoms do you have?"

"I've been more irritated lately, the nurse said it might be cause by high blood pressure. And I've fallen ill twice this week! Had a high fever the first time, and then my tummy wouldn't stop hurting the second time," Jayla complained, glaring at a nearby nurse as if she was the cause to all of her problems. "Haven't been hungry either."

Eva was listening attentively to her description of her symptoms as she scribbled everything down on the clipboard, her neat fancy calligraphy marked in blue ink. She rose from the bed and set down the clipboard.

"Can you lift your shirt for me, sweetie?" she asked in a soft voice, and Jay complied without question. Eva noticed a few red splotches around the area of her bellybutton, but the girl didn't seem to be squirming in pain.

Her touch was feather light on Jayla's skin as she felt her abdomen. There were notable bumps around her abdomen. Eva quickly scribbled down on her clipboard. It was clear Jay was feeling a kind of pain, but not as intense as she should be considering the bumps. It gave Eva a suspicion of her condition.

"Thank you, sweetie," Eva smiled down at the girl, helping her pull down her shirt again. "I'll ask one of the nurses to do a few tests on you and send the scans down to the lab, okay? I'll be back."

Jayla returned the smile and lied down on the bed, as Eva tucked her in and drew the curtains around the bed, leaving the young girl to sleep undisturbed. She quickly checked her clipboard in red before moving on to more patients, noting that her boss was already three beds down from his starting patient. 

⚕

One hour later, Eva had checked on fifteen patients in total. Out of the fifteen, only two had rose serious suspicions, which were Jayla and a boy around her age. His name was Scott and his father brought him in after he fainted out of nowhere. She could be wrong, but Eva thought that aside from the fainting, Scott was showing signs of early leukemia. 

She met up with Neil in the main office, where the other three were already. However, it looked like they had already given their reports, for they were mingling about. Jared was dozing off with his head in his arms, Claire was sipping coffee next to Shaun, who was staring blankly out of a window.

"Eva," Melendez called when he saw her. "Come," he led her to his office.

She sat down on one of the visitors chairs and rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the stiff muscles. Eva opened her eyes - she didn't remember closing them in the first place - and saw Neil staring intently at her. His eyes widened a fraction before returning to their normal size, a light coloring to his cheeks told her that he was feeling sheepish.

"What did you find?" he asked as he cleared his throat.

"Most had common colds and stomach aches, but there were two in particular that I think should be watched," Eva told him professionally, giving him the clipboard. "Jayla Jackson and Scott Thomas."

"You checked red," Neil muttered under his breath, waiting for her to continue as he scanned her beautiful handwriting.

"It's possible that Scotty has leukemia. Acute lymphocytic if I were to guess. His parents want him treated right away. Wealthy people. The father is apparently a generous donor of the hospital and is speaking with Marcus Andrews and Aaron Glassman right now."

Melendez tensed when she told him the names of his boss's. He put down the clipboard and steepled his fingers,  looking expectantly at Eva. 

"Jayla has probably already been tested and the lab is printing the results soon. I have reasons to believe she has Neuroblastoma," Eva bit her lip, thinking about the blue-eyed girl. "Unlike Scotty, she is all alone because her parents were too busy so she was being babysitted by her cousin. He may be in the hospital, but in the ER since his girlfriend was involved in an accident."

"You're getting attached," Neil commented, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I'm not. Just like you, I have a soft spot for kids. But I don't give them false hope," she protested calmly, narrowing her own eyes at him. "I simply tell them that whatever happens, they can count on me to talk about it. I don't go around telling them they'll be fine."

A moment of silence followed her statement.

"Very good," her boss nodded approvingly. "I'll go talk with Scott's father right now. Meet me here in another hour so we can get the results from the lab and go talk to Jayla."

Eva smiled.


	2. 02 | ever the gentleman.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessica walks in on Neil and Evangeline having a moment. Eva comforts Jayla after telling her her parents won’t pay for the surgery.

⚕

"Did you talk with Jayla?" Neil asked when Eva closed the door behind her.

She had insisted on giving the girl the news herself, that she had neuroblastoma, and Neil had let her, for she reminded him of his early days in his surgeon residency when he had encountered a similar case and had wanted to be kept on the loop everytime something happened.

"Yeah," she nodded, sitting down. "You'll be needed to take a sample of the tumor and see how big it is."

Neil leaned back against his chair. "I'll do it. Anything else?"

"She-," Eva briefly hesitated. "Jayla told me it is possible her parents might not pay for the surgery. She says not a lot of people are aware of her existence and think the Jackson's only have a son. And her parents have always been cold, distant and negligent so she fears they don't care enough to get her cured."

Those words deeply troubled Neil. He let out a silent sigh, and closed his eyes. It wasn't the first case he heard of. But he hoped there was enough parental love deep down to allow their daughter to get well.

Involuntarily, Eva's words reminded him of Jessica's.

 _'All parents love all children'_ , but did they? Neil's mind raced with childhood memories, he tensed when a certain playground flashed in his mind. As a little kid, Neil had been best friends with the poor boy in their neighborhood. Since his family had a good reputation, his parents didn't want him around Samuel, but Neil stood his ground. 

He was aware that he was being abused by his family, but was unable to do anything but watch. The last time Neil saw Sammy again, was the worst day in his life. He had managed to get the boy to play with his other friends, and they were happily enjoying their free time, when a drunken Mr. Riggs had come to pick Samuel up. The boy asked if he could stay a little longer and that infuriated his father. Neil vividly remembered the horrified screams they had all let out when Sammy's father pulled out a knife and stabbed his son three times in the heart. 

_He was dead before the paramedics and the police arrived._

"Dr. Melendez?" he distantly heard. "Neil? Neil!" a hand shook him brusquely.

"Sorry," Neil snapped out of his daze. He looked up to see Eva standing next to him, their faces inches away, staring at him with concern in her eyes.

Only then did he realized his cheeks felt wet. Shame filled his entire being as he abruptly rose from his seat and rubbed furiously at his face, wishing the humiliation to go away. He was never emotional. Especially not in front of strangers.

"You know," Eva said quietly. "It's okay to cry. It's obvious Jay's situation triggered something within you. It's not wrong to be human, Neil. You're not a heartless robot."

He swallowed, turning away from her. Neil inhaled a shaky breath and let it out. She approached him, and he felt his shoulders sagging under her warm touch. Two seconds later, his arms were wrapped tightly around her, his cheek pressed against her head, and Eva was completely engulfed in his arms in a hug.

A comfortable silence settled down in the office. The blinds were closed so there was no risk of someone looking in and misunderstanding the situation. No one would dare enter without knocking, so he wasn't worried about that either.

Eva felt right in his arms, he mused. Righter than even Jessica felt. He cared deeply for Jessica, but whenever she tried to comfort him, he simply ended up calming down to appease her. However, with Eva he  _actually_  felt himself relax, feeling as if he hadn't a care in the world. 

He blinked when she slightly shifted, and for a brief moment of panic, Neil thought she was breaking away from their embrace. But Eva simply rested her head on the crook of his neck, and started swaying. Seconds later, he could hear her soft voice singing in his ear.

" _Sometimes I feel I can't keep it together,_ " her voice was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. " _Then you hold me close, and you make it better._ "

" _When I'm with you, I can feel so unbreakable_ ," he joined in, his baritone voice replacing her light soprano one. Eva smiled against his neck, her lips brushing on the tanned skin. He held the last note out and then let it die down.

Moments after, Eva pressed a shy kiss against the skin on his neck and slowly moved again, disentangling her body from his almost reluctantly. Her hand lingered on his as they made eye contact. She squeezed his hand, and at the moment Neil was sure he was going to lean in and capture her lips in his, a knock sounded.

They sprung apart as Jessica stepped inside the office and paused, staring at them.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Neil cleared his throat and quickly glanced at Eva. He approached his fiancée and kissed her cheek. "Eva was just reporting to me because of a patient. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I talked to Jayla's parents," she said, looking at Eva. "They don't want you to perform the surgery. Said they're better off without her and are already dealing with all legal papers needed to get rid of her custody and ship her off to an orphanage.

Eva's eyes widened and she pushed past the couple, running out of Neil's office. He didn't try to stop her. Eva was probably going to pay Jayla a visit and see for herself how the girl was holding up, yet again. Jessica tilted her head at him.

"What?"

"Why are the blinds closed?" she inquired, folding her arms.

"Because I was getting ready to leave my office for the day before Eva came. I'm going to be performing surgeries for the rest of the day, won't have the chance to come back here. Why? Are you worried I'm cheating on you?" Neil arched an eyebrow, getting annoyed.

Jessica pursed her lips, looked away and sighed discontented. She turned back to her fiancé and held up her hands in a peace gesture.

"I didn't mean to offend you. Of course I don't think you're cheating on me. I know I'm the only woman in your life that you truly love," she said and bit her lip. "So, I also came here to talk about our wedding. My cou-"

"I have to go, sweetheart," Neil cut her off, grabbing his coat. Jessica huffed annoyed that he always avoided the subject of their marriage. She was walked out of the office by Neil and watched in dismay as he locked the door and sped down the hallway.

"We're going to get married in a goddamn church, whether he likes it or not," she muttered darkly under her breath as she pivoted and made a beeline for the elevators, fists clenched at her sides.

⚕

Meanwhile, Eva was sitting with Jayla in the playroom. The nine-year old looked gloom and refused to be included in any of the activities going on. Eva had seen her sulking by a corner and decided to cheer her up.

"I'm gonna die," Jayla commented offhandedly.

"I'm not going to let you," Eva retorted immediately, shooting her a warning look.

"You're a newbie resident, you're not allowed to perform surgeries," Jayla pointed out, her voice bitter and resentful. "I'm not even mad that I'm gonna die. I'm upset that my parents are basically murdering me. They have the freaking money!" the girl stared at Eva with a desperate look in her eyes, "Why can't they love me?!"

The tears streaking down Jayla's cheeks tugged at Eva's heartstrings, and the resident surgeon pulled her into her arms, rocking her back and forth as she whispered a lullaby in her ear. It hurt to see Jay so distraught, and Eva needed to remind herself she couldn't get attached, but it was impossible to do so with the little one in her arms.

The other kids didn't seem to notice the crying girl, but the nurses certainly did. They wanted to take Jayla away from Eva to sedate her, but Eva shooed them away. She carded her fingers through Jayla's dirty blonde locks. It made old memories come to surface, for this was exactly how her mother used to calm her down before she died.

The pleasant memories took a turn for worse when she caught sight of Shaun Murphy wandering in the corridor outside the playroom. He seemed to be watching the kids, but then locked eyes with Evangeline.

⚕

_"I can't believe this," she threw her hands in the air, glaring at her father. "Are you serious? Why did you adopt this kid?"_

_"Evangeline!" Aaron reprimanded in a firm tone. "First, you will not speak like that to me. And second, I didn't adopt Shaun. He's staying with us until I sort everything out."_

_"Just because you couldn't save his damn bunny doesn't mean you have to feel guilty enough into letting him stay with us. Especially after what just happened," Evangeline snarled at her father, turning her glare to the fourteen-year old standing next to him._

_"I say Shaun is staying with us, and my word is final, Evangeline!" the older man's voice rose, but he didn't outright yell at her, he would never do that. "Your mother would be happy that we're moving on."_

_"Don't you dare," Eva shook her head. "Mom died two weeks ago! You don't know what she'd want, cause you've gone mad. She would've want you to take care of your daughter! Not adopt a random kid and abandon her."_

_"I'm not abandoning you," Aaron said, calmly now._

_"We'll see," Evangeline crossed her arms and stalked off the kitchen, a frown etched across her features as Shaun watched her leave, a glare of his own in his eyes._

_⚕_

Eva looked away and kissed the crown of Jay's head. She didn't want to remember. She wished she could forget. That she could forget everything that happened between Shaun's sudden arrival and her graduation. 

How she hated that boy. It didn't matter that he was grown up now, that maybe he had matured more since then and wasn't as much of a jerk than he was back then. Every time Eva saw him, she would only picture the fourteen year old who had fucked up her life since he unceremoniously barged into it.

"Why don't we go to your room so you can get some rest?" Eva muttered against Jay's head, still rocking both of them.

She received a sleepy response and stood up, helping the tired girl balance herself on her own two feet. By the time they exited the playroom, Shaun was nowhere to be seen, to which Eva was grateful. She didn't want to run into him. 

After making sure Jayla was safely tucked into bed, Eva slipped out of the room and looked at her watch. She nearly did a double take when she saw the hands. It was nearly eleven o'clock. At the unexpected realization, her stomach made a strangled noise and Eva noticed she hadn't eaten since breakfast and was starving.

"Eva," Neil suddenly popped in beside her. "I'm checking out for the night. I was thinking maybe we could go to McDonald's or something? My treat. Did you bring your own car or...?"

"Um, no," Eva replied. "I came by bus."

"Then I'll take you home," Neil smiled kindly at her.

"Won't your girlfriend be mad?"

Neil rolled his eyes, "Jessica gets jealous easily. Either way, she's already home and she isn't expecting me till late. We have time. And I can always pick you up in the morning to make sure you're not late."

"How generous of you, Dr. Melendez," Eva said with a teasing smile, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Neil laughed at her, looping his arm in hers as he led her out of the hospital.

"I'm ever the gentleman, Evangeline."


	3. 03 | okay.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evangeline is paired with Claire for the day and is faced with the resident surgeon’s prying questions.

⚕

Evangeline rubbed the sleep off her eyes, buttoning her white coat with one hand. It was Monday again. She was honestly surprised that she had managed to get through her first week at the hospital. Waking up at five am every morning with long work hours, not counting the irregular shifts, was exhausting.

But she was proud of herself, regardless. She finally had a life. Eva could say she paid her own bills, had a fantastic job where she could help people and that she was on the right track to be successful.

She hadn't run into anyone when she arrived at the hospital. Eva knew that Jared would hide away in the staff room, downing mugs of coffee until he deemed himself awake enough; that Claire would arrive about half an hour before the start of the day and that Shaun would most probably be late, like always. She was the only one of the resident surgeons that came to work with a full hour of advance.

"Good morning, Eva," Neil greeted as he headed to his locker. "Slept well?"

"I did, Neil," she smiled warmly, adjusting the lapels of her coat.

"You and Claire will do rounds together, today," he told her, taking off his suit jacket. "I have to help Andrews with a surgery and will be busy. Murphy will do scutwork, and Jared has to leave mid-morning because of personal reasons."

"Okay," Eva replied easily, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. "Since when does Andrews ask for your help?"

"He doesn't," Neil smirked humorously. "But this is a big guy. He's a large donor that contributes a lot for the hospital's funds. Allegra wants every precaution taken. After Wannamaker, he doesn't want to risk getting her angry."

"Ah," Eva laughed. "I see. Well, break a leg."

"Thanks," he paused and shifted his head to look at her. Eva's breath caught in her throat at the intense look in his eyes. It was odd, but not uncomfortable in any way. "I hope I won't need to."

"Yeah," she smiled faintly and cleared her throat. "Um, I- I have to go. I'll wait for Claire."

She bolted out of the room, his dark eyes still lingering in her mind. Her relationship with her boss had ameliorated over the course of the last week. Ever since their midnight escapade at McDonald's, Neil had been more receptive to her. They had good chemistry in the OR, which made things run a lot smoother when he chose her as his second.

Of course, his fiancée was not happy about that. But Jessica had been nothing but polite to Eva, and there was nothing romantic going on between her and her boss, so she didn't worry much.

However, Eva often found herself staring a little too much at Neil. She found herself enjoying whenever their fingers accidentally brushed. She loved the way his eyes shone when he laughed and the way his rare smile seemed to brighten up the room.

She had briefly wondered if someone could fall in love within the span of a week, but had rapidly shaken that thought away. He was her boss, her superior, and she was his subordinate. Not to mention he was taken and Eva didn't want a relationship any time soon.

"Are you okay?" Claire asked curiously when she arrived.

"Yes, I'm okay."

Claire nodded dubiously but refrained from making any further comments. Eva was thankful for that. She quickly hid behind a pillar when she saw Neil and Jared walking past the locker room. They looked to be deep in discussion and he didn't notice her.

"You're not okay," Claire stated from behind her. "C'mon, Eva. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Eva denied as they made their way to the East Wing.

"Something's bothering you," her colleague insisted. "What is it? Is it Shaun? Because you only get distracted when he's around."

"No," Eva snapped at the mention of the autistic savant. "It's not Murphy. He's not even here. He's late, like always. Neil will chew his head off when he arrives."

She soon realized her mistake when Claire's eyebrows shot to her hairline.

"Neil?!" she swatted Eva's arm in disbelief. "Are you serious? What is going on between you and Dr. Melendez, Evangeline?"

"Nothing," Eva sighed, running her hands through her hair. "We're friends. We're just friends. Just... really good friends," she bit her lip and smiled at Claire. "He's just a really good friend!"

"You're in denial," Claire deadpanned. "Seriously, girl, what is going on? I know you two are friends. Really good friends," she rolled her eyes. "Did you talk this morning? What did he say to you?"

"He-" Eva hesitated. "I don't know. We were talking and he said that he had to help Dr. Andrews with an important surgery today. I told him to break a leg and he said he didn't need it and then he made eye contact. The way he looked at me... no one ever looked at me that way. So intensely."

"He's in love with you," Claire said matter-of-factly.

"He's engaged."

"But he's in love with you," Claire retorted. She stopped and grabbed Eva's wrist, effectively halting her. "Look, Dr. Melendez is not a man to show much emotion. He's always stoic and distant. So if he looked at you, even the slightest bit intensely, that means something. And since he actually likes you as a person, I'm guessing he realized he must have feelings for you."

Evangeline rolled her eyes and resumed her path to the east wing. Claire jogged after her, keeping up with Eva's quick strides.

"You don't want to admit. That's okay...  _for now_. Eventually, you'll have to accept that you have feelings for him also," she warned. "Just be careful, Eva. You're my friend, I don't want you getting hurt, okay?"

"Sure," Eva replied distractedly. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Okay," Claire dragged the word out. "So Saturday night I met this guy at the club..."

⚕

They had taken a break about two hours later. The hospital wasn't that busy and most patients only required a few check up questions, while the other few had just been admitted and Eva just needed to run a few scans. A very dull job, considering the latest hectic days.

Claire was standing by the coffee machine when Eva stepped into the staff room, two steaming mugs on a tray. Eva refrained from grimacing. While the coffee that the hospital bought was strong and undoubtedly effective, it tasted worse than the most disgusting medicine.

"We need to stay awake." Claire sat down with her, handing her one mug. "I know it's horrible, but it's literally the only thing that works. Besides, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"That I'm sure of." Eva joked, sipping on the black liquid. "The Spanish guy kept you busy much?"

"Very much." Claire's cheeks tinted as she fiddled with her sleeves. "And I already told you his name is Julio."

"And that he's good in bed." Her fellow surgeon smirked. "Trust me Claire, I've been there. The only advice I have for you is to keep your distance. He may seem nice right now, but they all turn out to be jerks."

"Maybe." Claire shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not rushing into anything. My top priority is this job. I know we're friends and all, but like Dr. Melendez once said, we're all quarterbacks. And when training camp is over, there's only going to be one starter." She quoted her boss, remembering his words one by one.

"It's odd. I've never heard him saying something like that before."

Claire shook her head. "He's changed a lot since you and Shaun both arrived. Before, he was strict, yes, but he cared, at least I think so. Then Shaun came along and he became harsher, always belittling us, especially me, when I defended him."

"Mmm."

"When you came, there was a radical change. He's been far nice than he has been in the last six months. Is more receptive to us, because of you. Now he's always encouraging me to run the patients' scans on my own and to trust my judgement. He's never done that before." Claire gave Eva a pointed look.

"He's sweet." She smiled. "But we're not going to talk about him."

"Then we're going to talk about you and Shaun." Claire fired firmly. "I want to know why you act differently around him. Almost like you hate him."

"I loathe him." Eva snapped quietly, venom dripping from her voice. "Look, what happened between me and Shaun goes back ten years or so. It's a rather complicated situation and it ended nastily."

"I know you still don't trust me. But I'm trying to be your friend."

Eva sighed. "Fine, I'll give you the brief resume."

"That's all I ask." Claire shifted in her seat.

"When I was sixteen, my mother died. Two weeks later, I come home and find my dad sitting in the kitchen with this unknown kid. He tells me that Shaun is staying with us for a while, but I know he meant that he was basically fostering the boy. We have an argument, and I go to my room. Over the course of the next two years, my father blatantly ignored me, his grieving daughter, in order to make icky Shaunickins as comfortable as he could be. I got fed up in my graduation when Shaun fell ill and my dad failed to show up like he had promised."

It took a lot of effort on Eva's part not to throw the suddenly offensive mug against the wall. Reliving the past always brought out the worst in her. She had spared Claire of the details, for she feared the consequences if she got angry while telling her the story. She would most likely be fired for destroying public property.

"Okay." Claire bit her lip. "Why did you sound so mad when you said Shaun fell ill?"

"Because he didn't." Eva snarled. "It was a test. For the two years we lived together, Shaun always tried to outshine me for some reason. He was always trying to gain my father's affections and played the victim when I was "rude" to him. My father promised me a father-daughter day at my graduation party and his word was bullshit."

"He wasn't sick?"

"No. He was faking it. To see if I would miss my graduation to take care of him or if my father would do the same. When I confronted him and he told me the truth, I packed my bags, booked a flight to Los Angeles. Never looked back."

Claire leaned back against her chair. "You didn't say goodbye to Dr. Glassman?"

Eva abruptly stood up and put the mug down on the counter. "No." She gripped the marble tightly, spitting the words through clenched teeth. "He didn't deserve it."

She grabbed her coat and left, leaving Claire alone with her thoughts in the staff room.

⚕

Eva found herself standing outside of Neil's office. She wasn't sure why she had chosen to come here, since she knew that her boss was in surgery, but her distraught mind had somehow led her to the latest place she felt safe.

There weren't many of those. Her childhood home used to be her safe haven, but it all changed when Shaun came into her life. The only true places she felt secured in, where her cozy apartment in San Jose and apparently, now Neil's office.

"Eva?" She started and turned to see Neil walking towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"I-" Eva smiled awkwardly. "Um, I don't know. I guess I was just distracted."

"Ah." He bit his lip. "Okay. Do- would you mind waiting for me? There's this little candy shop downtown that I've always wanted to go to, but Jessica hates sweets."

"Uh, sure." Eva nodded. "I'll just wait here then."

"Okay." He breathed out with a relieved smile and jogged to the locker rooms.

"Okay." Eva repeated quietly under her breath, smiling at his back.


	4. 04 | you know exactly why.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayla’s cousin has temporary custody, but is it enough?

  ⚕  

Jayla was sitting on the window sill when Evangeline went to visit her. She stood silently by the doorway, watching the frozen girl staring out of the window. Eva really couldn't bear seeing Jayla so sad.

At age nine, the little girl should be dearly loved by her parents. She should be healthy and have a large quantity of friends. Instead, Jayla was stuck in a hospital room, all alone with uncaring parents and neuroblastoma.

Evangeline had been working at San Jose St. Bonaventure hospital for two months now. She had grown rather close to Jayla, whom she cared deeply for. The girl reminded her of Eva's childhood best friend. Bonnie was always ill as a child and her parents were wealthy and absent most of the time. They shared the same haunted look in their eyes.

"Morning Geli," the blonde smiled at her doctor.

Evangeline walked over to the window and kissed her forehead. "Morning Jay. How are you doing today?"

"Exhausted," Jayla confided. "I can't seem to keep my eyes open."

"That's entirely normal until we get you under surgery."

Jayla rolled her eyes and hopped down from the window sill, heading over to her bed. Evangeline followed her with hers eyes and sat at the edge of the bed, holding out a hand to the smaller girl.

"That's a lie. I'm never going to be cured. I'll die here because my parents don't want to pay for the surgery."

Eva squeezed her hand. "They'll change their minds. Mark my words, Jay, you  _are_  going to be cured. I'll stop at nothing to make sure you get well."

Jayla was cut off by a throat clearing. Their gazes shifted to the doorway, where Neil Melendez stood, arms folded across his chest and a frown etched across his face. Inwardly, Evangeline cringed and quickly rose from the bed. 

She gave her patient an apologetic smile and followed her boss outside.

As she had gotten to know Jayla, she had also gotten to know Neil in the space of two months. He was a strict man with his employees, unforgiving of mistakes. But as soon as he got near kids, his entire demeanor would change. 

Under all that coldness, Evangeline had caught several glimpses of an incredibly kind man with a heart of gold. Neil had been nothing but friendly and nice to her since she started working with him, and the sudden rumors about his behavior floating around made Evangeline constantly mull over Claire's speech to her, two months ago.

"He's been far nicer than he has been in the last six months. Is more receptive to us, because of you."

Wanting to prove that her colleague was wrong, Evangeline had done a little digging and truthfully, wasn't entirely surprised to see that Claire's words held truth only. Reports from several former employees said that while his attitude was the worst, he was actually a pretty good mentor until you pissed him off.

Needless to say, she  _didn't_  want to do that. She liked their friendship very much, thank you.

So she felt compelled to hang her head when he stared at her, his face stern. 

About a month ago, Neil had told Evangeline he was worried that she was getting to attached to Jayla. She had denied it. But he had called her back to his office one week later and had informed her that should Jayla under go surgery, Evangeline wouldn't be in the operation room with him. She hadn't protested.

"Do I even need to say it?" he raised an eyebrow.

Eva shook her head. "No, sir."

His features softened as she raised her head to look him in the eye. While Evangeline had the decency to look sheepish, the stubbornness and determination in her eyes made it clear that whatever he said wouldn't change her mind.

"Is she really that important?" Neil asked, his voice kinder. "Why are you getting so close to this girl, Evangeline? Who does she remind you of?"

Her fingers twitched by her side. Evangeline wanted to tell him, but was afraid she still didn't trust him completely. Her best friend was a touchy subject.

"I promise that whatever you tell me won't reach any other ears," his fingers made contact with her chin, and he slowly tilted her head up so she could see he was being sincere.

Evangeline nodded and gestured towards the emergency exit. He immediately understood and led her outside. They walked in silence for a few moments before reaching the edge of the woods behind the hospital.

Neil sat down and watched Eva do the same.

"When I was a kid, there was this girl living near my house," she started as her mind replayed her past. "My mom always told me not to judge a book by its cover. Same with people. Bonnie was shorter than average, wore baggy clothes and overall looked homeless."

"But as I got to know her and befriend her, I found out she was actually the heir to the Mills fortune. They're this really wealthy family. She was an only child and only saw her parents twice a year at most. She felt lonely so she would dress up as a homeless girl to find friends at the park. However, nobody wanted to play with her except me."

"She had a weak immunity system. She caught a cold every two weeks. Her parents were very negligent people and didn't care about their daughter. Instead of taking her to a daughter, they just told the maids to leave their daughter alone."

Neil leaned in, understanding reaching his eyes as tears pooled in Evangeline's. His warm hands took a hold of hers, and a single tear streaked down her cheek. 

"She had neuroblastoma," he said, and Evangeline could only nod. Neil got up and contoured the wooden table, crouching down in front of the woman. 

"She died when we were nine."

Eva took out her phone and unlocked it as Neil waited patiently. Her finger trembled, hovering over the screen, and she clicked the gallery button. She looked away as Neil took her phone from her, his right hand never leaving hers.

Silence ensued, engulfing them in a comfortable bubble. Evangeline didn't even blink as she felt Neil's arms wrap around her smaller body, his mouth pressing against her forehead in a sweet kiss. 

Later, she would deny to everyone that she had had a full emotional breakdown in her boss's arms, but she wouldn't be able to tell herself she hadn't enjoyed being comforted by someone after years of loneliness.

In her entire life, she had only allowed one person to hold her as she cried, and that had been her mother before she passed away. She never had the same connection with her father as she had with her mother, and she never allowed him to hug her unless she was in a good mood. 

Neil's hands rubbed up and down her back as his voice started to whisper in her ear, telling her to breath in and out. 

"Bonnie was a neglected child, had neuroblastoma and died at age nine because of it. She also had the exact same shade of blue as Jayla's," Neil murmured in her head. "I can't really blame you for getting attached."

"Yeah."

He sighed. "Look, Eva, I know you hate Shaun and I know the reason, but hear me out," at her silence, he continued. "He had the exact scenario a while ago. Shaun had a younger brother - "

"Who died when he was fourteen. I know. Steve fell off a train and died instantly."

"Yes. In his first week at the hospital, Murphy saw a little boy who was the flawless replica of Steve. He got too attached. He overthought things, he disobeyed me and he tried to diagnose Evan against his parents' permission. He had lost his brother once, and didn't want to lose the boy that looked so much like Steve. So he convinced himself that Evan didn't have cancer, and ended up devastated in the end. I don't want that to happen to you."

"She still has time," Evangeline protested as she turned to look at him. "Jayla has time. I just need the money and then she can get a surgery."

"Her parents have the money, Eva," Neil tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "You can't pay for the surgery if they don't give you permission. So please, don't pull a Shaun and go behind my back. I know you're better than him. Just make sure Jayla knows she's loved and enjoy your moments with her. I won't bug you again about getting too close."

She looked away. Then Evangeline nodded and leaned back against his body, resting her head on his shoulder as her entire body relaxed. Something about Neil Melendez made her feel safe and protected, and she loved it.

  ⚕  

A few hours later, when she went to check up on Jayla, Evangeline found her path to be blocked by a squad of nurses whispering excitedly with each other right outside the Jackson girl's room. The resident surgeon forced her way through the gathering hospital staff.

She saw a handsome man sitting on the visitor's chair. Jayla saw her enter the room and waved her over, staring in disgust at the nurses.

"Hello?" Eva greeted the stranger, seeing him now up close.

He strongly resembled a male older version of Jayla with darker skin and black hair. His eyes were identical to the girl's and their features looked almost the same. Eva quickly saw the family connection.

"This is my cousin, Treshawn," Jayla introduced with a bright smile. "Tres, this my doctor, Eva. She's super duper nice."

Treshawn grinned at his little cousin.

"You forgot to mention how cute she was, Jayje."

Eva rolled her eyes at his flirting attempt.

"Don't worry Geli, he's got a girlfriend. He's just like that with every living female."

"I'm assuming you're the cousin who brought Jayla to the hospital?" Evangeline spoke as she grabbed a clipboard from shelf and a pen.

"I am, yes."

"How's your girlfriend? I heard she was in involved in a car accident," she scribbled down his name on the paper and handed the clipboard to him. "Please fill the blank spaces."

Treshawn gave her a friendly smile. "Imogen's fine. She only broke her leg. Of course she's upset she can't go hiking anymore, but she'll get better soon."

"Poor Tres. That girl can be damn annoying when she wants to," Jayla piped in with a sour tone to her voice, causing Treshawn to sighed exasperatedly.

"Language, Jayje. And leave Imogen alone. I already told you to stop calling her annoying. I really don't understand why you don't like her."

"You're my cousin," Jayla replied matter-of-factly. "I haven't deemed her good enough for you. Also, I swear she hates my guts."

"Lucky for you then, because she's not coming to see you with that attitude," Treshawn rolled his eyes at the little girl and gave Evangeline the clipboard back. "There, I think that's all. Could we speak outside for a moment? Jayla don't try to eavesdrop."

"Sure," she said innocently.

Evangeline shooed the nurses away and led Treshawn to the staff room, where they could have more privacy. When they stepped inside the room, they saw Neil and the rest of the team, except Shaun, lounging in there.

"Is this your team?" Treshawn asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Yes. Drs. Kalu and Browne are resident surgeons as well. That is Dr. Neil Melendez, our boss. I have been keeping track of Jayla's condition but it's him who gets to call the shots."

Melendez smirked a little at her description and firmly shook hands with Treshawn.

"I spoke to my aunt and uncle," he told them as they all sat around the round table. "They have always been cold-hearted but I never believed them capable of stooping so low. They want to give away Jayla's rights to someone else."

"I offered to be her new guardian, but they know how close I am to her, and for some reason, they want to hurt their daughter. I've struck a deal with them, and I was able to get temporary custody of my cousin," Treshawn made eye contact with Eva. "You need to make the surgery asap."

"We have to prepare," Claire said with widened eyes. "We can't just decide to do a surgery out of the blue. To operate on a minor, we need the permission of their legal guardian. Her parents already stated that they aren't going to pay for the surgery. Even if you're her temporary guardian, her parents will always have more influence."

"Dr. Browne is right," Melendez sighed as he rose from his seat. "We couldn't do the surgery even if we wanted to. I'm sorry, Trewshawn, but I can't risk the hospital getting sued because of this. You have to understand our position."

The younger male stared at the floor, utterly crestfallen. When a tense silence started to settle in, he looked back up and nodded resignedly. Evangeline closed her eyes as she felt her chest tighten.

"I -," Treshawn abruptly got up and headed to the door. "I understand. Just... make sure she's happy. I can't be there for her. I live on the other side of the country. Eva," he turned desperate eyes on her. "Please take care of her."

"I will," Evangeline said quietly, and he nodded, disappearing into the hallway.

  ⚕ 

As she was getting ready to leave, Evangeline was stopped by the one and only Shaun Murphy. She resisted the urge to sigh irritably and attempted  to dodge him, but the guy wouldn't let her go so easily.

"What do you want?"

Shaun didn't seem to notice the sharp edge in her tone.

"Why are you so mean to me?"

She stood there, mouth gaping, as Shaun waited for her response. Her arm moved ever so slightly, but she caught sight of Neil watching them from afar, so she refrained from slapping the infuriating doctor.

"Excuse me?!" she shook her head in disbelief. "You truly haven't changed Murphy. No matter what Claire says."

"Why are you mad at me?" Shaun asked again, more forcefully.

"You know exactly why!" Evangeline spat just before she stormed away.

_She couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face. Being with Jack was exhilarating! Eva felt so free and careless when she was with him. Living with her overprotective father, she had experienced nothing of the sort until she met him._

_Of course, with her father being how he is, he would've had shot Jack the moment he learned of their relationship._

_Honestly, Eva was surprised Shaun had kept his mouth shut. The boy had caught them once strolling around the park and had promised to keep quiet. Eva hadn't believed him at first, but Jack convinced her to give the autistic savant a chance._

_So she had bought him chocolates as peace offering. Maybe he wasn't that bad after all._

_"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"_

_Her eyes widened as she pivoted, only to see her father looking at her with barely hidden anger. Just behind him, stood Shaun, cowering behind the wall._

_Evangeline quickly put her bag down and held her hands up._

_"Where were you, Evangeline Camille Glassman?" her father's voice didn't rise above the average tone, but it was clear he was beyond disappointed._

_"Out," she replied snarkily, not feeling the need to give him any explanations._

_"With Jack?" Aaron sneered._

_"What a surprise! The little snake ratted me out," Evangeline glared at the fifteen-year old and turned to her father._

_"Give me your phone."_

_"No," Eva snarled with a frown. "Now you're trying to act like my dad?! After an entire fucking year of ignoring me and pushing me to the side? Well, fuck you Aaron. I don't need you."_

_She made a quick escape towards the back door, her father's angry shouts echoing behind her. Evangeline ran and ran until her legs gave out from under her and she fell to the ground._

_Her breaths came out in pants, and she just laid there, staring at the starry night sky, feeling adrenaline rushing through her body and her blood flowing through her veins. She briefly wondered if she had made the right decision._

Whatever, I'll just wait for him to cool down and get back before school, _she thought and turned on her side, feeling grass under her. It took her a moment to realize she had ended up in the small park, seven blocks away from her house._

_Later, she made as little noise as possible as she tip-toed around the living room. Knowing her father was a heavy sleeper, Evangeline took the time to enjoy a warm shower. She got dresssed quickly and went to the kitchen, intent on not being home when he woke up._

_Her body tensed up when she heard someone kicking the metal garbage can by the door. Seconds later, Shaun stepped into her line of view, his hands over his ears as he glared at the garbage can._

_"Are you fucking kidding me?" Eva muttered darkly under her breath, preparing to leave._

_"Why are you mad at me?"_

_She rolled her eyes. Evangeline grabbed her bag and took out a red box of chocolates. She saw Shaun's eyes light up at the sight of his favorite brand._

_"I bought you these because I wanted to be friends. Because I thought we could get along and that there was a minimal chance you weren't a total dick. Guess I was wrong," she unceremoniously threw the box into the trash._

_He stopped her before she left, though._

_"Why are you mad at me?" Shaun repeated his question._

_Eva smiled bitterly. "You know exactly why."_


End file.
